Alycat and the Copycat -- Book Review & Giveaway with Science Fair Idea Roundup

 Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Alysson Foti Bourque to bring you this post.

I am very excited to share another Alycat Series book with you today!! Have you checked out the Alycat Series yet? I have reviewed a few of them previously. Today's has a STEM theme as well as the lesson about friendship each book has. The book is Alycat and the Copycat by Alysson Foti Bourque and illustrated by Chiara Civati. At the end of the post there is a giveaway!!

The Flicker -- Middle Grades Dystopia Novel Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In our chaotic world, sometimes it is not hard to think about the end of the world. After all we have environmental problems everywhere. The wildfires have been raging around the world and certainly across the country. Hazel and I recently binge watched the show, The 100, on Netflix. It is about the human world after a nuclear war. Many people were able to leave Earth and live in space. However, their united ships are now running out of air and supplies. They decide to send 100 teenagers who have been imprisoned for breaking a law to Earth to see if it is inhabitable yet. As we were watching this show I began to read The Flicker by H.E. Edgmon. The book and show have many similarities as both are dystopia. There are some similar thoughts and ideas and yet they are so different. Today I get to share The Flicker with you. It is recommended for ages 8 to 12. 

Energy Wars: The Awakening -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Jodi Dee to bring you this post.

Have you ever thought about what happens when someone insults or upsets another? Today I get to share a middle grades/middle school novel that shares a bit about the science of bioenergy fields as well as a fantasy element. The book is the first in a series. It is Energy Wars: The Awakening by Jodi Dee. There is a giveaway at the end of this post.

Katherine Johnson (Little People BIG DREAMS) -- Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Happy February!! February has many amazing things about it: Valentine's Day, Presidents Day, Black History Month, etc. I always love finding new books about Black people to share in February. Today I get to share a new one about a hero of mine--Katherine Johnson. I love that she was a mathematician. I love that she was Black and fought for her right to be heard and share her knowledge. She changed history and not so faraway history. History about our space travel. We are talking the 1960s not the 1800s. I always feel like most female mathematicians had a love for math but didn't really get much credit for the work they did. Katherine did not get much credit for her work until recently, but she made a huge difference in the space race. Today I am sharing the book Katherine Johnson by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Jemma Skidmore. It is part of the Little People BIG DREAMS series. It is recommended for ages 6 to 8.

Geometry in Origami Tutorial with Origami Paper Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent this pack of origami paper in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Let's start 2025 with a fun craft!! I went to a craft fair and fell in love with an origami flower ball ornament. I bought one. I knew I could make one for myself, but didn't want to take the time before Christmas, so I bought one.

Space Themed Books for Younger Readers

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am continuing my themed reviews. Today we are focusing on outer space, and I am sharing two books for younger readers (3-8 year olds). One is a pop-up and the other is graphic novel style. We will start with the pop-up. It is Into Starry Outer Space by Joel Stern and illustrated by Vivian Mineker. It is recommended for ages 3 to 5.

Books for Dinosaur Lovers with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Last week I shared a round-up of books for animal lovers. Today I am sharing books for dinosaur lovers and some of them are perfect for Spanish learners or bilingual kids. If you like to give a gift to read and have a dinosaur lover in your life this post is for you! We will start with the stand-alone book (the others are in a series together). It is A Dinosaur a Day by Miranda Smith. This book is recommended for ages 6 to 9.

Picture Books for Animal Lovers

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Can you believe Thanksgiving is almost here? Time is flying by as usual. It is time to think about gift buying and the holidays. Today I am doing a round-up of picture books that are perfect gifts for animal lovers!! Do you know any young animal lovers? Perhaps kids who love the Wild Kratts like Hazel did?  To begin we will start with one with a thankful theme. It is from the World of Eric Carle. It is Little Book of Thanks from Brown Bear and Friends by Eric Carle and Odd Dot. It is recommended for babies through 3-year-olds. 

Glow in the Dark: A Streak of Light -- Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and T.J. Scripps to bring you this post.

Girls often go through a phase of loving rainbows and unicorns. Some never outgrow it. A couple of weeks ago Hazel and I were at the house on Cape Cod. We were trying to pack up and clean up as it was the day we were heading home. We heard thunder and a little bit later it started pouring. We kept going on with our chores. When the rain stopped the sun came out. It only rained for five to ten minutes. I happened to look out the window and quickly called Hazel downstairs and grabbed my phone. I was able to capture the full rainbow through the screen door and part of the rainbow without the screen. 

Picture Books Sharing the Lives of Historical Figures

 

Disclosure: I was sent copies of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I always love picture books that share a bit of actual life. Today I get to share three with you!! The books look at the lives and work of four different historical figures. The books have age ranges from 4 to 12 years old. We will start with the book for the younger children. It is A Fine Little Bad Boy by Barbara Lowell and illustrated by Antonio Marinoni. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8. It is about the life of Quentin Roosevelt, President Teddy Roosevelt's youngest child. 

Sea Without a Shore -- Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and W.W. Norton to bring you this post. 

Summer is over. The beaches are less crowded. Do you visit the shoreline off season? The beaches change so much in each season. Today I get to share with you an interesting nonfiction picture book that teaches us about the one sea on Earth that does not have a shoreline! The book is Sea Without a Shore by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Katherine Roy. 

Webster the Beagle & His Adventures on the River -- Book Review & Giveaway with Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with Expound Publicity and The Children's Book Review to bring you this post.

Did you know that National Dog Day was this week? In honor of that I get to share with you a fun book about a beagle and his adventures to the river with his human. The book is Webster the Beagle and His Adventures on the River by Frank Payne and illustrated by Romney Vasquez. There is a giveaway at the end of the post, and I am sharing a round-up of crafts of some of animals he sees at the river.

The Math Inspectors Series Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a set of these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a high school math teacher, I love finding fun ways to share math with kids. Recently I have been reading Learning to Love Math by Judy Willis, M.D. In it she mentions how math is the one school subject that conjures up a series of emotions for most people and usually they are negative. I cannot tell you how many times people tell me they can't do math or hated math when they find out I'm a math teacher. One of the things Dr. Willis mentions is we need to change this in society. We need to stop telling kids that adults didn't do well or hate math. Parents, teachers, coaches, etc. are giving kids permission to not do well in math and to not really try. So please if you are one of the people who does not like math or didn't do well, please keep it to yourself. Don't give kids the permission to be like you. It is something we are working on at our school this year. With that said I get to share a great series of middle grades mystery novels about a bunch of math loving students who use their math to solve mysteries!! The series is The Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever.  This series is recommended for ages 9 to 12.

New Origami Book with Easy Geometric Projects and Mathematical Explanations!!

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am so excited to share with you a new origami book. Now some origami tutorials can be difficult to follow, but this book is amazing!! Now I have posted about how I use origami in my geometry class. Today's book is perfect for the classroom!! The book is Origami Polyhedra for Beginners: Amazing Geometric Paper Models from a Leading Japanese Expert! by Miyuki Kawamura.

The Soil in Jackie's Garden

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Spring has sprung and school is almost out. That means it is time for gardening. There is so much to teach young ones in the garden. Today I get to share a new book (out today) that teaches about the soil and plant cycles. The book is The Soil in Jackie's Garden by Peggy Thomas with pictures by Nelly Daggett. This book is recommended for ages 6 to 8. 

Origami in the Geometry Classroom

 

Disclosure: I was sent these packages of origami paper in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Last week was a stressful and emotional week at school and home, so I wasn't able to post. I have realized when I'm not in the right mindset my reviews are hard to write. For a while I have wanted to share some ideas I use in my geometry class with origami paper. I will be sharing four new packages of origami paper with you in this post. I keep a box of origami paper in my classroom and students come and get some when they are feeling creative or need to relax. I also use it in my geometry class. I have the kids do a project using geometric terms project using geometric terms, but I also use it for some easy discovery and illustrating properties. I have been wanting to share these ideas with you. May is the perfect time to introduce it since origami is a Japanese art form and ties into Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Else B. in the Sea -- Book Review & Giveaway with Under the Sea Craft Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey to bring you this post and giveaway. All opinions are my own.

I love books that share about people you may not have heard of. Today I get to share a nonfiction picture book about a woman who explored colors and paints of under water to share what a scientist saw on his underwater exploration. The woman is Else Bostelmann. The book is Else B. in the Sea The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey.

Look -- Book Review & Finding Patterns Activity Round-Up

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a math teacher I know that being able to see and recognize patterns is important. When kids are young, we teach them simple pattern finding. When they are older, we teach harder pattern finding that goes into things like equations of lines and other graphs. I know because I just taught patterns to my algebra class. I also teach patterns in geometry. Patterns are important in life and in developing our brains! Patterns are also a huge part of our lives. We see them all around us. We create them in our daily lives. Patterns can be dances, songs, daily routines, fabric prints, bead colors or shapes, spirals, branches, etc. Even our bodies are made with some patterns. They are truly everywhere. Today I get to share a new book about looking for patterns both to learn patterns and to help give you a break when needed. The book is Look by Gabi Snyder and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8.

Pi Day Activities for Different Ages

 

On March 14, mathematicians and much of the world celebrate Pi Day. Since the approximation of the number pi is 3.14, March 14th was picked for the day. It was first celebrated in 1988 in San Francisco. As a math teacher I get excited for Pi Day, however our school is always on spring break on March 14th so I don't get to celebrate it with my students. This year I thought I would do a round-up of Pi Day activities and try to share ones for different age groups since much of what I see are for younger kids and I teach high school. Be sure to start your celebration with some pi jokes and riddles like these. Some of the Best Things in Life Are Mistakes shares a round-up of free Pi Day decorations! By the way Pi Day is also Albert Einstein's birthday. You can also have a birthday celebration for Albert!

Do You Know? Farm: Animals, Work, and Life -- Nonfiction Children's Book Review

 

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As spring approaches, I begin to think about my garden. I also am noticing some life at the farm stores and nurseries. I am lucky to have a local farm that grows all year long in greenhouses that I frequent. (It helps that I'm friends with the owners so sometimes I'm there to visit.) Today I am sharing a book recommended for ages 5 and up about farms. It is Do You Know? Farm: Animals, Work, and Life by Camille Babeau and illustrated by Charlotte Ameling, Helene Convert, Ilaria Falorsi, and Camille Roy. It is being released tomorrow.